Pressure roll for sound film apparatus



Aug. 8, 1939. D. o. LANDIS 2,168,572

PRESSURE ROLL FOR SDLJND FILM APPARATUS Filed June so, 1937' Zhwentor Daniel 0. Landis By W (Ittoineg Patented Aug. 8, 1939 UNITED STATES PRESSURE ROLL FOR SOUND FILM APPARATUS Daniel 0. Landis, Upper Darby, Pa., assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application June 30, 1937, Serial No. 151,149

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improved pressure roll for maintaining sound film in frictional contact with and in correct alignment upon a drum carrying the film past a translation point. The device is applicable to sound reproducers, sound recorders, printers, or any other analogous apparatus wherein it is desired to move film over a smooth drum without weaving or wobbling.

In many sound reproducers and recorders the film is moved past the point where the recording or reproduction is accomplished over a smooth untoothed drum, as for example in Kellogg Reissue Patent 19,270 and Loomis et al. Patent No. 2,019,147. As shown in the said Loomis et al. patent, heretofore a solid pressure roller has been used to maintain the film in frictional contact with the drum. I have discovered, however, that when a solid pressure roller is used, if the axis thereof is not in exact alignment with the axis of the drum shaft, there may be a tendency for the film to skew or run off to one side or the other of the drum.

In the present device I avoid this tendency for the film to run to one side of the drum or the other by dividing the pressure roller into a plurality of independent sections, and the tendency of the film to deviate from a strict following of its longitudinal path around the drum is correspondingly decreased.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved pressure roll.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pressure roller which will tend to cause the film to run accurately around a smooth drum.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pressure roller which permits greater manufacturing tolerances than were heretofore permissible.

Another object of my invention is to provide a pressure roller which is simple to manufacture and which is easily assembled.

Other and incidental objects of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification and from.

an inspection of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved pressure roller as applied to a film drum,

Figure 2 is an elevation of the pressure roller and film drum as seen from the bottom of Fig. 1, and,

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the pressure roller taken along the line 33 in Fig. 2.

accomplished as shown in the. said Kellogg reissue patent. The film is maintained in frictional contact with this drum by the roller l I carried on the arm l2 and urged toward the drum by the spring I3. The spring it may engage any appropriate fixed member such as the arm M shown in Fig. 2.

The drum E9 is carried upon a shaft 15 by which it may be driven as shown in said Kellogg patent or which may carry a viscous damper as shown in the said Loomis et al. patent, the drum in the latter case being driven by the film.

The pressure roller ii is carried on an appropriate shaft or spindle. at it passing therethrough and carried by the arm H2.

The pressure roller ii is sub-divided into a plurality of independent sections as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and each of these sections is independently rotatable upon the spindle l5, and I have found by experiment that this sub-division of the pressure roller into a plurality of sections materially reduces any tendency of the film to travel toward one edge of the drum or the other if the spindle It is slightly out of alignment with the shaft 55.

As indicated at if, one or more of the rollers may be covered with rubber if so desired.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the sections of the roll ll may, if desired, be covered with rubber or felt or may be entirely composed of rubber or felt. In the latter case, of course, appropriate bearings should be provided interiorly of the rollers to engage the spindle it. If desired, some of the rollers may be of metal and some surfaced with rubber or felt or composed substantially or entirely thereof, as shown in the drawing.

It will be apparent, of course, that the specific material used for the roller forms no part of my invention and that any appropriate material may be used.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A pressure roller for film feeding apparatus comprising a plurality of contiguous similar independently freely rotatabie sections.

2. In combination, a film feed drum, a pressure roll, and means urging the pressure roll into engagement with said drum, the said pressure roll being sub-divided into a plurality of contiguous independent freely rotatable sections.

3. In combination, a film feed drum, a pressure roll, and means urging the pressure roll into engagement with said drum, the said pressure roll being sub-divided into a plurality of contiiguous independent freely rotatable similar coaxial sections.

DANIEL O. LANDIS. 

